It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the racing. The last time that I went in fact was Royal Ascot in 2019. Royal Ascot is a huge spectacle and an enjoyable day out however I was looking forward to checking out a more relaxed event this time around.
Great British Racing invited me along to a meet of my choice at my local racecourse – which turned out to be Hamilton Racecourse (just outside of Glasgow). I opted for one of their Friday night events as they offered a good mix of quality racing and music.
Across England, Wales and Scotland, there’s a line-up of 64 fixtures taking place in early October, so there’s something for everyone. Great British Racing’s campaign, ‘Everyone’s’ Turf’ ensures that there’s an event for everyone, it doesn’t matter if you prefer to get dressed up in your finery or instead opt for a more casual affair.
There are two fixtures taking place in Scotland:
Thursday 6th October – Ayr Racecourse
Monday 10th October – Musselburgh Racecourse
Hamilton Racecourse is a compact but lovely site. This made getting between the finishing post, the parade ring and the restaurants very easy and quick. We were able to get up close to the horses and the jockeys as they paraded and still had plenty of time to place a bet all before the race kicked off. I found this a thrilling part of the experience and chose which horse to support each time based on how they looked in the ring. This seemed to be a much more successful strategy than my normal one of picking the name that resonated with me the most and I got a few winners!
As you’d expect, there are plenty of food options at Hamilton, we tried out one of their new venues – The Paddock Cafe – which is a fairly relaxed venue with a sit-in and takeaway option. The menu consists of pizzas, pasta and sandwiches. I went for the pizza, and it was delicious.
As I said, it had been a while since I’d been to some live racing, but it was a very enjoyable way to spend a night with some mates and the live DJ who took over the main stage after the racing came to an end meant that there was no need to rush off as the night had only just begun. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that I’m already planning my next visit.
You can find your nearest local Raceday by going to the Everyone’s Turf website – https://www.greatbritishracing.com/everyonesturf/ – and searching with your postcode.
#EveryonesTurf
